Appearances
Conference in Athens and Interviews
On 29 August 2026, a member of our Research Group participated in the international symposium Beyond Silk Road: Archaeological Perspectives on East-West Connections in Athens, organised by the Chinese School of Classical Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). In addition to presenting a research paper, she was invited to deliver the opening remarks at the symposium. Following the conference, she was interviewed about her research by Xinhua, China’s state news agency, and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The interviews are available here:
Xinhua News:
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences :
A Member of Our Research Group Interviewed by National Geographic
National Geographic Hungary interviewed a member of our Research Group about the latest developments in Silk Road research. The interview explores how recent archaeological discoveries are reshaping the traditional understanding of the Silk Road: rather than a single East–West route, they reveal a constantly changing network of overland and maritime connections involving numerous intermediary regions. The interview is available here:
Our Study Published in the Cambridge Archaeological Journal
As a result of collaboration between a member of the Research Group and French researchers, a study entitled Cross-Cultural Connections: Roman Material Reception and Adaptation in South and Southeast Asia has been published in the Cambridge Archaeological Journal. This study explores the reception and adaptation of Roman and Roman-inspired materials in South Asia and Southeast Asia during the early historic period. Drawing on a database of over 300 objects, it compares materials such as glass vessels, beads, engraved gems, and coin adaptations. While South Asia shows greater diversity and quantity of Roman imports, Southeast Asia demonstrates selective appropriation and creative transformation, often filtered through South Asia, particularly peninsular India. This pattern is further complicated by the emergence of Sri Lanka as a key crossroads in Indian Ocean networks after the fourth century ce. The study highlights regional differences in integrating Roman materials, revealing unique cultural priorities and engagement with global trade networks. The study is available here: www.cambridge.org
First Hungarian Translation of Chinese Texts on Daqin Published
One of the central issues in the study of interactions between China and the Roman Empire is the interpretation of the Chinese term Daqin 大秦 (“Great Qin”), which is often simplistically identified with the Roman Empire. Research has traditionally relied primarily on official dynastic histories, although numerous other Chinese sources dating from before the 6th century—including geographical works, Daoist texts, encyclopaedias, and Buddhist writings—also contain information on Daqin. A joint study by members of the Research Group provides the first annotated Hungarian translation and comprehensive analysis of these sources. The study aims to highlight the complexity of the concept of Daqin and to explore how the distant western regions of the known world were perceived in ancient China. The study is available here: ojs.elte.hu
International Conference Co-organised with Indonesian Researchers
On 30–31 March 2026, the Research Group organised a two-day international online conference entitled Connecting Continents and Oceans: Southeast Asian Archaeology and Heritage in Dialogue with Europe, in collaboration with the Indonesian Research Center for Archaeometry, Research Organization for Archaeology, Language, and Literature, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). The conference aimed to provide a scholarly forum for knowledge exchange between European and Southeast Asian researchers, while fostering future research collaborations and joint publications. The two days of the conference focused on two different themes. The first day, entitled Intertwined Crossroads: Recent Research and Findings in Southeast Asian Archaeology, was dedicated primarily to recent archaeological research and methodological approaches related to Southeast Asia. The second day, Bridging Continents: Archaeological Practice in Southeast Asia and Europe, focused on the characteristics and challenges of cultural heritage management, museology, and community archaeology in Hungary and Indonesia. The conference website is available here:
Launch of the Research Group’s Facebook Page
In the summer of 2025, the Research Group launched its Facebook page, Ancient Silk Road, with the aim of presenting our activities to a wider audience and introducing the history and archaeology of China and Southeast Asia to the Hungarian public. The page features recent research, news, and other topics of interest in archaeology, history, linguistics, and culture, spanning the Roman Empire, India, Southeast Asia, and China, all presented in Hungarian.
The Research Group Participated as Co-Organizers and Speakers at the 2025 ANSO–MTA Silk Road Forum & 3rd ATES Conference
As a continuation of the conference hosted in Lanzhou, China, in 2023, this year’s distinguished international event was jointly organized by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA) and the ELTE Research Centre for the Humanities. Eötvös Loránd University also acted as a collaborating partner, with our research group members assuming responsibility for several specific organizational and administrative tasks.
Joint paper by members of the Research Group on ancient Chinese perceptions of the Roman Empire
Published in Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, the article focuses on the translation and analysis of Chinese texts that have previously received limited attention in the scholarly literature.
The study is available here: akjournals.com
Joint workshop organized by the Research Group and the Chinese Alliance of National and International Science Organizations for the Belt and Road Regions (ANSO)
On 10 April 2024, a delegation from the Association for Trans-Eurasia Exchange and Silk Road Civilization Development (ATES) visited ELTE, where the Research Group organized a joint workshop titled “New Avenues of Silk Road Research from a Multidisciplinary Perspective.” Dr. Krisztina Hoppál, head of the Roman World and the Far East Research Group, delivered a special lecture entitled “Cross-Cultural Interactions in Antiquity: Chinese Silk Finds from the Roman Empire.”
More details here: ates.ac.cn
Research group members give presentations at an international conference in Lanzhou, China
Two members of the research group were invited by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences to give presentations at an international conference organized by the Chinese Alliance of International Science Organisations. The conference took place in Lanzhou, China.
Our detailed report is available below.
Research paper on Roman and related objects from Southeast Asia
The paper includes Mediterranean imports produced between the last centuries BCE and first centuries CE, as well as Asia-produced inspired objects that integrate Mediterranean elements to varying degrees. It not only contributes to building the sequence of cultural exchanges, but also interprets in cultural terms the varying Mediterranean elements present.
Full paper available here: https://www.cambridge.org
New research paper available:
Percepció és recepció a Selyemút mentén (Ed. by Krisztina Hoppál, Szilvia Kovács)
